


The Vampire King Must Die

by TheGirlWithThe555



Category: The New Legends of Monkey (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dreams, F/M, Festival, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Romance, VampireTrip, Vampires, Violence, and conflict, girl talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:08:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28017492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlWithThe555/pseuds/TheGirlWithThe555
Summary: Monkey dreams of Tripitaka, pining for her. However, he thinks if he admits his feelings, she will turn him down. How can he deal with it though when she is attacked by a vampire and begins to change? Can they save her? Will it be too late for him to admit his feelings to her?
Relationships: Monkey King/Tripitaka (The New Legends of Monkey), Pigsy/Sandy (The New Legends of Monkey)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	1. I Had a Dream About Killing People Just to be With You...

"I can't believe you! Can you even hear yourself!?" Tripitaka's voice was raised, once again. Sandy sighed as she looked over at Pigsy.  
  
"I am a god! I don't have to listen to you! Mortal!" Monkey spat back. Lately, they had been arguing, a LOT.  
  
"Do something!" Sandy mouthed at Pigsy, but he gazed between the two and then back at Sandy with a helpless look.  
  
"Okay look, the first time was okay, but you have your own cup! Stop using mine, especially if you're not going to wash it!" Tripitaka fired back, but Monkey scoffed.  
  
"Why would I wash your cup?" He asked, foolishly as always. Tripitaka's face grew red and Sandy was almost sure that the human's head would explode.  
  
"Because you're the one who used it!" Tripitaka threw the dirty cup at Monkey's feet.  
  
"Your so useless!" Of course, she didn't mean it, she was just angry.  
  
"I'm the useless one? You couldn't last one day without me!" Monkey yelled back. Tripitaka let out a noise of frustration.  
  
"I bet I could, I bet I would be just fine without you!" She yelled and Monkey seemed taken aback and a frown formed on his face as he gave her a hard look.  
  
"Fine." He muttered.  
  
"Fine," Tripitaka said back. Monkey planted his fists to his hips as he turned around. No one expected him to whistle and make a tsk sound and when he did, his cloud came flying.  
  
"Monkey! No, she didn't mean it!" Sandy tried to get out, but he was gone before she even finished her sentence. She looked at Tripitaka.  
  
"You know, he only uses your cup because he trusts you!" She muttered out and Tripitaka gave her a look.  
  
"Well it's my cup, I'm tired of him thinking he can just use my stuff whenever he wants!" Tripitaka responded as she began to walk off to the edge of the clearing.  
  
"And where do you think you're going now?" Sandy grew worried for her companions when they would go marching off in random directions.  
  
"I need some alone time!" Tripitaka let out as she stomped into the woods.  
  
"Utterly useless, aren't you?" She looked at Pigsy. He gave her a look.  
  
"Alright, alright, I didn't mean it. We shouldn't be arguing too." Sandy said. Pigsy frowned and softened his gaze.  
  
"We never were." He stated.  
  
"Right, right, of course, we weren't." She said sarcastically, she obviously believed otherwise.

  
TVKMD  
  
  
Tripitaka hadn't taken long to come back, but Monkey was another matter. They had waited for two full days before they had to come to the one conclusion they didn't want to consider.  
  
"What if he doesn't come back? This is all my fault, I'm such an idiot!" Tripitaka was more than angry at herself and she'd spent the entire afternoon beating herself up.  
  
"Maybe he got caught up fighting demons or something? I'm sure he'll catch back up to us." Sandy stated. Tripitaka shook her head.  
  
"And if demons did come for him, what kind of companions are we? What if he's hurt?" Tripitaka began to say.  
  
"I mean, it’s Monkey we're talking about, he can handle himself," Pigsy stated.  
  
"Yes, that he can do," Sandy added. Tripitaka shook her head and bit her lip.  
  
"I just... I have a really bad feeling." She admitted. Sandy gave her a sad look.  
  
"We all get bad feelings, but sometimes they come because we are worried about the people we care about, not because they're actually in trouble," Sandy stated. Tripitaka looked away from her.  
  
"I hope your right."  
  
  
_TVKMD  
_  
  
Several days had passed with each day making Tripitaka's concern grow further. Every time she tried to bring it up, Sandy and Pigsy brushed it off, saying that time wasn't as important to a god, that surely Monkey was caught up in something or still blowing off steam. Even so, Tripitaka couldn't shake the feeling that something bad happened to him, something really bad.  
  
Then she would hate herself for it. It was her fault that he was god knows where, possibly hurt, possibly imprisoned. She couldn't help but think of the worst-case scenario.  
  
"Please, someone, help us! Please!" The words were panicked coming from far down the road. They all stopped and gave each other looks, but began to run in the direction of the voice when a blood-curdling scream sounded. It didn't take long to get there, but the sight was terrifying.  
  
Many humans lay lifeless on the ground, covered in their blood, and in the middle of all of it was Monkey, knee to the ground, holding his weapon to his side, ready to pounce once again and strike.  
  
"Monkey?" Tripitaka questioned, but he didn't even flinch.  
  
"Ahh, so you know my pet, perhaps you're the ones I'm truly looking for." A woman's voice sounded, so sickeningly sweet that it twisted Tripitaka's stomach. She turned her eyes to find a woman with blood-red hair and a mouth that seemed to stretch into a smile that was much wider than humanly possibly.  
  
"Yes, yes, you are the ones, that’s the scroll right there, isn't it now?" Her voice questioned. Tripitaka looked at the scroll slung over her shoulder and then back to the woman.  
  
"Monkey King, slaughter them and collect the scrolls." The woman commanded. Monkey's body began to rise and when he turned to face them, they all held back gasps. His eyes looked lifeless and his face expressionless.  
  
"What did you do to Monkey!?" Tripitaka began, but the woman let out a shrill laugh.  
  
"You think I'd share my secrets? What kind of a fool do you take me for? As big of one as The Monkey King himself?" And then she couldn't help laughing more. Tripitaka gritted her teeth. This woman did something to Monkey and now mocked him for it.  
  
"Tripitaka, you must run, I don't know how long we can hold him off." Sandy nudged Tripitaka behind her as both she and Pigsy brandished their weapons.  
  
Tripitaka shook her head. They were going to fight Monkey?  
  
"No, you can't! We have to help him, we can't hurt him!" Tripitaka began.  
  
"Kill them now!" The woman barked her order once again and this time, Monkey did not hesitate. Sounds of clashing weapons filled the air.  
  
"Tripitaka! Run!" Sandy yelled back once again, just before her stomach was struck and she was sent flying backward. It didn't take much more for Tripitaka to get into gear. She turned around and began to run. She ran and ran, as fast as her legs would carry her. Her lungs burned and she felt pain from the coldness of the air as she sucked breaths in through her mouth. Tears threatened to leave her eyes.  
  
Monkey killed all those people, Monkey might kill her friends, Monkey very well might kill her, except that it wasn't really him. He was somehow being controlled. What happened when he did manage to gain back control? How would he feel knowing that he killed them all with his own hands?  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks, convinced on turning around and going back. However, she didn't get that chance. She was tackled to the ground and as soon as she rolled over, Monkey jabbed the end of his staff to her neck. Tripitaka looked at him with widened eyes.  
  
"Monkey please, don't do this! Please... I... I..." She bit her lip. All this time she had buried her feelings, all of them. The pain of the scholar dying, the fear of failing this quest, the sadness at hiding who she is for so long, but worse yet was the happiness he brought her. The worst was how he made her feel like the world could end tomorrow but as long as Monkey was there, they would fight and there would be another day. The feeling that if she could just be held in his strong arms, she might just melt away and cease to exist, and somehow, she was fine with it. The worst yet is that she was mortal and therefore... She knew he would never return her stupid feelings.  
  
His lifeless eyes stared down at her, yet his hand was stayed.  
  
"If you're going to kill me, then please, I know you're in there somewhere... I love you." She clenched her eyes shut, waiting to die, she was ready now, she was positive. There was nothing else, no more hiding anymore, that was it. Yet, nothing happened and she blinked her eyes opened to see his hand shaking. He was trying to stay his hand. But how long could he manage that against that demon who seemed to be able to control him? She tried to think fast, of anything at all that could help.  
  
She brought her two fingers to her mouth and began to mutter the words that made his head fill with pain. He twisted in what seemed worse agony than usual and then he collapsed. Tripitaka was quick to his side and she checked his pulse at his neck and grabbed his hand.  
  
"I'm sorry Monkey, I'm so sorry." She muttered over and over, scared that she'd really harmed him this time.  
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, you broke him, you stupid girl!" The voice of the demoness sounded and Tripitaka looked up to see her inching towards them.  
  
"I guess I'll have to kill you myself!" She stated as her steps became swifter.  
  
Tripitaka scooted back and back, fear gripping her as the demoness brought her hands to her sides and extended sharpened claws that seemed to be stained the color of blood. She opened her mouth, baring teeth that were sharp and rotten.  
  
"I was still a little hungry at least." She muttered. Tripitaka felt her back hit a tree as the demon closed in.  
  
"Don't you dare touch my monk!" That voice!  
  
The demoness didn’t even get the chance to turn around and look before she turned to dust, revealing Monkey just behind her, his staff held in position as he stared at the raining ash before his eyes fell to Tripitaka. A smile spread on his lips.  
  
"So you love me?" He questioned. Tripitaka's eyes widened as her whole face burned with a blush.  
  
"I... Um... What about the others, are they okay?" She questioned, trying to change the subject. His face hardened and he blinked disappointingly as he offered her a hand.  
  
"I think they're fine, I just knocked them out." He stated as he turned from her and began to walk. Tripitaka began to nervously follow, but then he turned to face her once again.  
  
"Were you lying to me then?" He asked her, his eyes boring into her own uncomfortably. Tripitaka studied him with her own eyes.  
  
"You're a god Monkey... I'm a human, I'm nothing compared to you." She stated, her voice somber.  
  
"Even if I loved you, what would it matter? You would never feel the same." She added. Monkey's gaze softened as he seemed to take a moment to think.  
  
"You're an idiot," he said and that took her aback.  
  
"What!?" She began, her voice rising. Maybe she was an idiot for admitting her feelings, but he didn't have to throw it in her face!  
  
"You just saved me Tripitaka and you're smart and you're... You're Tripitaka, you set me free." He admitted. He wasn't so good at talking about these kinds of things so he stumbled through what he was trying to say.  
  
"And I mean yeah, I'm like this handsome, perfect, super-strong god with amazing hair, but I wouldn't even be here if not for you. You believed in me when no one else did." He told her, his eyes growing serious.  
  
Tripitaka didn't know what to say. She was pretty confused in all honesty. She said nothing and continued to stare at him with wide eyes, he chuckled.  
  
"You guys tease me for being dumb and maybe I'm not so good at this, but your acting pretty dumb yorself right now." He told her. Tripitaka shook her head.  
  
"Well, I guess so because I don't know what you're trying to tell me right now. I mean, I guess you're trying to let me off easily, which is probably nicer than what you've told other girls before," Tripitaka was kicking herself right now. She should have just kept her dumb mouth shut. He probably pitied her, a girl who falls for a god, a girl who didn't even have hair. It was always around Monkey that she felt her most unattractive. He was beautiful and she was... Well, not really when compared to him. She was sure there was some beautiful noble or goddess that would steal his breath away, but it would never be her.  
  
Monkey took a few steps towards her, almost closing the distance. She looked downwards, unable to look in his eyes, but he hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head upwards.  
  
"Is this letting you down?" He questioned before he bent his face forward, pressing his lips to hers. She stood there stunned and her knees felt wobbly and her head felt like it was spinning. He pulled away and gazed at her and she found herself lost in his eyes. Her heart thundered as she realized he wasn't letting her down, he was returning her impossible feelings. A smirk found her mouth as a nervous laugh slipped past her lips.  
  
"You don't hate me?" She questioned quietly. He searched her eyes. He couldn't understand why she was being so impossible right now.  
  
"I care about you Tripitaka, how could I ever hate you?" He asked her.  
  
"Because I yelled at you for using my cup and ripping my pillow and all that other dumb stuff," she stated. He smirked.  
  
"It's like you said, dumb stuff," he said. She stared at him for a moment.  
  
"Can I kiss you or do you not want this?" He asked her as he gestured to himself, in an egotistical way that made her laugh. The fact was though, that she hadn't returned his kiss. Her eyes slowly grew hungry as everything began to fall into place in her head and then she pressed her lips to his, voraciously, fervently. They exchanged small kisses with her hands going to his hair and his around her back before they pulled apart slightly, forehead to forehead.  
  
"I've waited for this moment for a while, but I thought you thought of me as dumb, I mean, you’re always saying I am," he muttered.  
  
"Your heart is always in the right place, Monkey, plus, I'm the dumb one, like you said," she stated. Monkey pulled away fully from her now.  
  
"We should check on the others and tonight..." He gazed at her, searching for something, but she wasn’t sure what.  
  
"We can finish what we started." His words made her blush and she was sure she must be dreaming. There was no way this was real, but Tripitaka nodded her head.  
  
"Of course." She told him. He smirked at her, his eyes giving her a playful look.  
  
"Do we tell the others?" He asked her. A blush formed on her cheeks.  
  
"Do you think we should?" She asked.  
  
"It would be funny to see the look on their faces when they wake up and we're together now," he stated as he began to walk.  
  
"You’re right, I'm sure they would think it's a joke or something," Tripitaka said.  
  
"Or maybe we don't tell them? It's up to you," he added. Tripitaka frowned.  
  
"I mean, is it dishonest if we don't?" She asked him. He stopped and turned to look back at her.  
  
"It might be more fun if it was a secret, for just a little anyway." He eyed her up and down, almost suggestively, she was almost positive. It made her blush all over again.  
  
"And how is that?" She questioned, trying to sound playful herself, but she was having a hard time breathing. She was having a hard time keeping her cool at all really.  
  
"Well." He took a step forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing small circles.  
  
"There's the rush of trying to keep it a secret, while trying to get at each other, but not being able to." He told her. She gave him a look.  
  
"You sound like you've had a secret relationship before?" She more questioned than stated. He smirked at her.  
  
"Does it make you jealous thinking of me with someone else?" He asked her, looking slightly amused.  
  
"Maybe, but maybe I have my own history you don’t know about either." She replied, which was sort of a lie, but he was already trying to push her buttons, she was sure. She stepped past him, worried that if this kept going she would either get ferociously angry or rip off his clothes, to which would happen she wasn’t sure because everything felt warm and fuzzy and like she was floating through the air in a super weird way.  
  
"Wait... You’ve had someone else before?" He began as he tried to keep up with her as she now power walked.  
  
"A lady never kisses and tells." She muttered. He grabbed her shoulder to stop her in her tracks.  
  
"I had two others, but it was nothing. Just flings, they didn’t mean anything." He became serious quickly, as if he was worried she truly had loved another.  
  
"Not like you do," he added. Tripitaka gazed at him long and hard.  
  
"Don't tell me that the almighty, handsomely perfect monkey king is jealous?" She questioned and he gave her a small glare. Tripitaka shook her head.  
  
"There was no one else Monkey, I guess you were right, I was just jealous," she stated before turning away again and stalking off. She missed his smirk as he stared at her figure from behind.  
  
"Do you really find me handsomely perfect?" He called out before jogging to catch up.  
  
"Maybe sometimes, but you can work on yourself too, ya know." She muttered. He was nonstop embarrassing her and she was sure that if she blushed again, her face might catch on fire.  
  
"Which part?" He questioned. When she didn't reply he went on.  
  
"It’s my hair, isn't it?" He asked. He began trying to pull the crown off again.  
  
"It’s this stupid crown, isn’t it? Ruining my hair!" He let out and Tripitaka turned around to stare at him, smiling softly to herself. Her heart thundered. Was this really real? Were they really... Together?  
  
She figured that if this was a dream, she may as well enjoy it. She took a few steps forward and placed a hand on his chest. He stopped trying to yank off the crown and gazed at her.  
  
"Your perfect Monkey, you look fine with the crown," she stated and his eyes softened at her. The look he gave her made her want to melt away, but she settled on pressing her lips to his once again. She slid her hands up and down his shoulders, feeling his skin, feeling his muscles. His arms went around her automatically, pressing her into him, trying to get as close to her as possible, but it wasn’t close enough. When she pulled away to breathe, she rested her head into the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply, taking in his scent.  
  
"I was so scared that you were gone forever or that something happened," she muttered.  
  
"Something did happen," he responded.  
  
"I know, and then I was so scared that you were lost forever, I was scared that you would kill us and hate yourself for it," she replied. He didn’t say anything for a long moment.  
  
"I would fight to the end to keep you from getting hurt," he finally answered.  
  
"And I did," he added. Tripitaka pulled back to stare into his eyes.  
  
"And this... It's like a dream, I can’t believe this is real, I mean, what if this is a dream?" She asked him. He frowned at her and gazed downwards.  
  
"It is a dream," he admitted. She looked confused and frowned.  
  
"No... But..." She began, but he put a finger to her lips.  
  
"Don't worry, it's not your dream," he explained. Tripitaka looked more confused than ever and he sighed as he took her hand and led her to a highly perched log to sit on.  
  
"It's my dream, I mean, I'm a god, I can have certain dreams if I want," he stated.  
  
"Wait, if this is a dream, does that mean?" She began to say, but he interrupted her.  
  
"I wish you loved me and thought I was perfect and wanted me," he admitted. She shook her head. He of course could never be this vulnerable in reality, but he could confide his feelings to Dream-Tripitaka.  
  
"Why?" She asked him.  
  
"You trust me Tripitaka and care for me... You take care of me when I need you," he answered as he pulled his knees to his chest, trying to think of the right words to convey his thoughts and needs.  
  
"When I fight, I know you watch me, I know you think I’m invincible, but you’ll never want me. With me in your life, you'll always have trouble." He muttered as he covered his eyes and groaned.  
  
"That can’t be true, once the quest is over, things will get better," Tripitaka stated, but he shook his head and removed his hands to gaze at her.  
  
"There will always be something evil and if no one else can face it, then I have to." He told her. Tripitaka gave him a look.  
  
"Why?" She asked.  
  
"Cause I think that’s what you would want."  
  


_TVKMD_  
  


"Monkey, wake up, come on, you gotta get up if you wanna bathe before we eat!" He was being shaken

and spoken to, that much he knew. He peeked one eye open and then two, to see her face. He gazed at her for a moment.  
  
"What?" He finally asked as he hadn't really caught anything she had said.  
  
"Pigsy is making breakfast, you told me to wake you so you could bathe before we eat, remember?" She asked him. He tried to think back and did recall that the night before he had requested such a thing. He nodded as he began to sit up, not waiting for her to take her hand off his shoulder. As he sat up, his blanket fell from his shirtless chest and her hand glided over his skin, not purposely though. He gazed at her and her cheeks reddened as she pulled her hand away.  
  
"Sorry," she muttered, unable to look in his eyes.  
  
"I can't help being perfect, of course you would want to feel my perfect skin, hm?" He asked her cheekily. She gave him a look and huffed before getting up and going towards Pigsy who was cooking. He frowned at her back. Maybe he wasn't as charming as he thought he was. He began to tug on his undershirt and boots before starting towards the river.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sandy questioned as soon as she saw him stomping by.  
  
"Nothing," he muttered, but Sandy pressed further, giving him a concerned look.  
  
"Let me guess, bad dream?" She asked. When he said nothing, she went on.  
  
"Diarrhea? No, that's not it, bad breath?" She stuck her face closer to his and inhaled through her nose.  
  
"Not that either, hmm," she went on.  
  
"Just leave me alone." He rose his voice a little.  
  
"Oh, it’s girl problems, isn't it?" She asked. He glared at her before picking up his pace. Sandy smiled and brought her hands together in a clap as she sped up too.  
  
"So it is girl problems! Tell me, who's the lucky lady?" She questioned as she nudged his arm. He still gave no answer.  
  
"Alright, well I guess I'll have to keep guessing," she added.  
  
"Which I don’t mind, I do love guessing games," she stated.  
  
"Hmm, well, we don’t really know that many people, I mean, we've met people, but I don’t think we’ve had time to get close to much of anyone..." Then she gasped and gave him big eyes.  
  
"It's not me, is it? I mean, I’d be flattered, but honestly, I do have a type and that type isn’t really you, I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’re handsome, but..."  
  
"It's not you, okay!" Monkey muttered as he sent her another glare. Sandy cocked her head and gave him a confused look. She stood there for a second as he walked on.  
  
"If it's not me then..." Her eyes almost popped out of her head as she watched him stomp on.  
  
"Tripitaka!?" She questioned as she sped up to his side again. Monkey stopped in his tracks and turned to her.  
  
"You're really annoying, you know that!?" He was growing angrier and angrier.  
  
"And your just a big softie, you do know that, right?" She asked him. He groaned again as he turned and started for the river again.  
  
"I mean, why don’t you tell her, hm? You could get her some flowers, get Pigsy to make something special, take her to watch the stars," Sandy began to go on and he stopped once again and turned to her.  
  
"Tripitaka doesn’t care about me, she cares about the quest," he stated. Sandy gave him a disappointed look.  
  
"Now you know that isn't true, as much as I hate to admit it, I think you're Tripitaka's favorite," she said with a smirk, but he shook his head.  
  
"Plus I’m not good at that romance stuff, I always move too fast, and everywhere I go, there’s trouble," Monkey stated. Sandy giggled at him, which only made him angrier.  
  
"Everywhere Tripitaka goes, there’s trouble too, and the romance stuff, I mean, Pigsy and I can help you with that." She stated. He shook his head.  
  
"No, you guys are probably even worse at it than me," he muttered.  
  
"So you're telling me that a fancy dinner and star-gazing doesn’t sound romantic to you at all?" She asked him.  
  
"I mean, yeah, that’s a pretty common date, right?" Monkey questioned. Sandy shrugged.  
  
"I mean, I suppose so," Sandy answered.  
  
"Tripitaka deserves more than that, more than some normal date doing normal things, she deserves to be swept off her feet," he stated.  
  
"And what, you don’t think you can do that?" She asked him. Monkey frowned.  
  
"Just because I’m good looking doesn’t mean she thinks so, that much I know," he said and Sandy giggled at his foolishness yet again.  
  
"So now you think she finds you unattractive?" She asked.  
  
"I mean, every time we get close or she brushes against me, she tries so hard to get away from it," he stated. Sandy laughed even harder, accidentally snorting and it made him beyond annoyed.  
  
"What's so funny!?" He barked and Sandy put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"You should see how she looks at you when you fight or when your shirt is off, almost looks like her eyes will pop out of her head," Sandy stated. Monkey looked at her, almost unbelieving.  
  
"She probably runs away because she is embarrassed, she thinks you will never like her like that," Sandy said.  
  
"You really think that?" He asked her.  
  
"Yeah, I do," Sandy stated as she couldn’t help making a decision to help the two. Was it really playing matchmaker if she knew they already liked each other?  
  
  
_TVKMD_  
  
  
"Mmm, it smells so good," Tripitaka stated as Pigsy gave her a bowl of rice porridge with fruit and cinnamon.  
  
"Yeah, not too fancy this morning, just what we had and some berries I found," he admitted, but Tripitaka waved him off.  
  
"Stop being modest Pigsy, it really does smell delicious," Tripitaka said. Pigsy smiled warmly at her as he served three other bowls and took one for himself. Soon enough Sandy joined them and then after her, Monkey, whose hair was still wet from bathing and his skin misty and moist and Tripitaka had to do whatever she could to keep her eyes off of him.  
  
It was hard, but lately, she'd been having... Well, dreams. Not bad dreams, they were rather good actually, a little too good. Looking at him made her blush, and she kept reminding herself that they were in fact just dreams. Yet, every time she gazed at him, she would see flashes of their mouths mashing together, the bare skin of his chest pressing against her naked body, the sweat slicked on his back, and his piercing brown eyes watching her every movement. It would heat her up and form tight coils in the center of her belly. So much so that she almost couldn't stand it.  
  
Several times she tried to shake the thoughts out. She really shouldn’t be entertaining them at all, yet Monkey was just... Well, he was Monkey and that was what made him so attractive. He was strong and funny and had his own way of doing things. Even if she was at times against him being so stubborn, even that was something she liked.  
  
"So, Tripitaka, I was thinking, we're going to be in a rather nice town later today and we should totally have a girl's day," Sandy stated. Monkey gave her a look, more like a glare.  
  
"Or we just have an everyone all together day!" He muttered with a rushed voice.  
  
"Oh come on Monkey, I just wanna go to the spa, maybe do a little shopping with my best gal pal," Sandy stated. Monkey was about to interject again, but Tripitaka spoke up.  
  
"Actually, that would be nice, I’ve been having, um, well, a lot has been on my mind lately," Tripitaka stated. Sandy smirked at that as she took another bite of porridge.  
  
"Then it’s settled, we'll treat ourselves, maybe also get something to eat, oh, get our fortunes told!" Sandy suggested. Tripitaka smiled at her. Sandy gazed at Monkey for a second before looking back to Tripitaka.  
  
"Maybe talk about boys?" She asked. Tripitaka smirked at that.  
  
"Maybe," she said. Monkey closed his eyes as he tried his best to keep his composure, but inside he wanted to scream in frustration at Sandy. If only she would just leave things alone. He didn’t need his heart ripped out and fed to him, he already knew the answers and he didn’t want those answers to become real.  
  
  
  



	2. Am I a Little too Drunk or Do You Just Have Mind Seduction Powers?

“What do you think of this one?” Sandy asked as she held a dress to herself. Tripitaka gazed at it for a second.

“You would look so beautiful,” she admitted with a smile and Sandy pulled it away and looked it over again.

“You're right, it's too much, isn’t it? Not my kind of thing," Sandy muttered, but Tripitaka shook her head.

“No, it's totally you, I just said you would look beautiful,” Tripitaka stated. Sandy frowned.

“I know, but I’m not really the beautiful type, you know?” She said as she began to put the dress back, but Tripitaka intercepted it.

“If you don’t get it, I’ll get it for you.” She said and Sandy gave her a small smile.

“You really think I should?” She questioned and Tripitaka nodded.

“You deserve to look nice sometimes, right?” Tripitaka asked and Sandy thought to herself for a moment.

“I suppose you're right,” she said as she smiled down at the dress.

“So, when you said we should talk about boys...” Tripitaka began and Sandy’s eyes lit up as she looked to Tripitaka.

“Do you and Pigsy have like a—thing?” Tripitaka questioned with a smirk. Sandy’s face burst on fire as she was quick to shake her head.

“What? No way! I mean, Pigsy? Pfft,” She began, but Tripitaka let out a laugh.

“Oh come on, you can tell me, I won’t say anything.” Tripitaka implored.

“I mean, even if I did, that wasn’t the boy I was going to talk to you about,” Sandy began to say, but Tripitaka gave her a look.

“Come on, spill,” Tripitaka demanded, there was no getting away from the subject. Sandy gave her a look and then another before finally sighing and turning back to the table of folded garments, picking through them with the dress she chose hanging over her shoulder.

“He is a good cook, isn’t he?” She questioned. Tripitaka took a place by her side and began looking through clothes as well.

“Definitely an amazing cook,” Tripitaka agreed.

“And he’s quite nice and even if he's a jerk sometimes, he always makes up for it,” She added.

“Yes, he does,” Tripitaka agreed.

“And this plant to save his life was entrusted to me, that has to mean something, right?” Sandy asked.

“Do you think it does?” Tripitaka asked. Sandy blushed and looked downwards.

“I don’t know… That’s why I was asking you.” She replied. Tripitaka put a hand on Sandy’s shoulder.

“You’ll never know unless you talk to him, I mean, I think he’d be lucky to have you,” Tripitaka stated. Sandy shook her hands and shoulders as she tried to think.

“I mean, talking to someone isn’t as easy as it sounds. Plus, we talk all the time! About the weather, about his food, about the quest,” Sandy explained.

“But you should talk to him about your feelings,” Tripitaka told her.

“No, no, no, I know how you guys all see me, some freaky god who hid in the dark her whole life,” Sandy muttered and Tripitaka frowned at that.

“Sandy, I think you're awesome and you should too, your a fighter and you're on this quest and we're going to save the world! That says a lot about you I think,” Tripitaka said.

"Perhaps," Sandy said, but then she looked up as the storekeeper came by, placing new garments out and Sandy’s eyes lit up at a bright red dress with embroidered flowers and golden trim.

“This!” Sandy stated as she grabbed it and held it up to Tripitaka.

“This is definitely for you!” Sandy said. Tripitaka blushed as she eyed the dress up and down.

“No way, it's way too fancy for me!” Tripitaka stated. Sandy gave her a cheeky look.

“You know, a wise monk once told me that you deserve to look nice sometimes,” Sandy said.

“Well that wise monk isn’t actually a monk, now is she?” Tripitaka questioned.

“Wise enough to me,” Sandy declared as she flung the dress over her shoulder with the other.

“We're getting it and you're definitely going to wear it tonight, and I’ll wear mine, deal?” She asked.

"Red isn't my color Sandy," Tripitaka nodded, crossing her arms. Sandy pouted at her.

"I think I know someone who will really like it though," Sandy countered.

Tripitaka stared at the water god for a long moment before she huffed a small sigh wore a forced smile as she nodded.

“Well, you're definitely going to talk to Pigsy then, right?” Tripitaka questioned. Sandy gazed downward and looked almost horrified at the prospect, but nodded.

“Alright, then it is a deal,” Tripitaka stated. They brought their pinkies together, and shook on it. Sandy went towards the vendor, Tripitaka following at her side.

“Oh, oh, let's go to the spa next, then we can put on our dresses!” Sandy said as she handed over coin to the shopkeeper and then grabbed Tripitaka’s hand and began rushing out into the crowded market.

“It’ll be so nice, we’ll take real baths and get our hair and makeup done! And then later tonight there is supposed to be a festival!” Sandy began going on and on, excited because this was the first time she and Tripitaka were having bonding time over something fun. Usually, bad things were happening and this was a really nice change of pace.

_The Vampire King Must Die_

“Look at this Pigsy, this would be cool?” Monkey questioned as he held up a little metal throwing star, smaller than usual.

“Then I could pin someone to a tree.” He said as he turned it over. Pigsy looked at the star and then to Monkey.

“Get it if you want it.” He said. Monkey gave him a look.

“You keep saying that.” Monkey stated.

“Yes, because that's literally why we're here, get some nice things, so choose something already,” Pigsy answered, getting impatient.

“Well, what do you want to get?” Monkey finally asked as he put the star down. Pigsy smirked with furrowed eyebrows.

“Well, I have a list of some staples and then maybe some nicer things, have some good food the next couple of days until we're down to the okay stuff,” Pigsy explained. Monkey smirked at him as he nodded absent-mindedly.

“All you ever think of is food.” Monkey stated. Pigsy narrowed his eyes, accepting the challenge.

“You guys are the ones who wanted me to start cooking for everyone,” he answered. Monkey nodded with a smirk.

"So maybe I just won't anymore," Pigsy said.

“Well, no one else does it like you.” Monkey replied as he picked the star back up, feigning sudden innocence.

“I’m going to get this, I mean...” Monkey tested the balance in his hand and made to throw it without letting go. Acting as if he hadn't just been teasing.

Pigsy decided that Monkey was lucky in the sense of looking so innocent when he was guilty. You couldn't stay mad at The Monkey King for long, that is if you knew him. Strangers seemed to have no problem with being angry at him.

“This will throw people off.” Monkey added. Pigsy shook his head at him.

“It comes in a set.” Pigsy pointed to the sign. Monkey squinted at it and gave a nod that was too enthusiastic, as if he could understand perfectly well that is said it came as a set. He smirked as he grabbed the others. It was too bad that it didn't really come in a set.

_The Vampire King Must Die_

“Ahh, that was so nice,” Sandy said as she rolled her shoulders a few times, her muscles feeling as relaxed as they could be. Having a bath in fresh hot water in a legitimate bathing vessel and having to only share the room with one other bather? It was heavenly! They did wait a bit longer to get a room together rather than taking a room with some random person. It just seemed awkward to undress in front of someone you didn't know.

“Yes, it was actually, better than I thought it would be,” Tripitaka replied.

“Would you believe me if I told you that was my first time at a spa?” Sandy asked and Tripitaka giggled.

“Mine too, honestly, I thought it would be really weird, but it was nice. I've never had a bath with such clean water, I usually would bathe in a lake,” Tripitaka said and Sandy nodded her agreement.

"Me too, but I will say lakes are rather lovely too," Sandy defended their usual mode of cleaning themselves.

"Better than wiping yourself down with bucket water though, that's for sure," Sandy added. Tripitaka chuckled at the statement.

They continued walking when Sandy saw a big looking hut, the smell of incense wafted out onto the street. The water god looked at the sign.

“Oh, a fortune-teller! Let's go in, let's get our fortunes!” Sandy said excitedly. It was something else she’d never done that always intrigued her. She grabbed Tripitaka’s hand and started inside. As soon as they were in, the first thing they noticed was how dark the atmosphere was.

“Come, sit, let me read your fortune,” a woman stated from behind a table. Tripitaka and Sandy inched forward until they reached seats and they sat themselves down. The fortune-teller looked them over with smoky eyes before smirking.

“So, who first?” She asked. Tripitaka smiled at Sandy.

“Definitely her,” Tripitaka said as she pointed at Sandy who fidgeted in her seat, trying to get more comfortable. Sandy smiled nervously, unsure of what she was supposed to do. The fortune-teller squared her up in her eyes before grabbing a deck of cards, metal bracelets clanked together as she did so. She shuffled them several times before cutting the deck and placing the pile on the table. She then began to pull cards, until there were three turned over. She stared at them for a moment before frowning.

“I will tell you this now, for it is certain, you are in a dire situation,” she began. Sandy frowned at that.

“If you don’t follow your heart, evil will befall you,” she added. Sandy traded looks with Tripitaka.

“I mean, there's nothing about my love life, or?” Sandy began to question.

“No, the cards tell me that something powerful and equally terrifying will be coming for you and that should you stray from your true feelings, it will overtake you and make you it's own.” The fortune-teller spoke with grave warning. The fortune teller’s eyebrows creased as she frowned and continued, “this is indeed an omen, a very bad one at that.”

Sandy frowned and crossed her arms.

“Everything is a bad omen, is it not?” Sandy asked, growing visibly upset. She thought they would come in here and she would get some advice on Pigsy and maybe Tripitaka would get advice for Monkey.

“You mustn’t stray from your path, you mustn’t trust anyone new who tries to sweep you off your feet, they will try to destroy everything you’ve worked for,” the fortune-teller went on. Tripitaka watched as Sandy became more and more perturbed.

“Um, thanks for your time, here,” Tripitaka said as she handed coin to the woman and grabbed Sandy’s hand, leading her out.

“Can you believe that? Everywhere I go, bad news!” Sandy muttered, “and as if I would ever trust someone trying to sweep me off my feet!” Sandy stated.

“Well, now we know, right?” Tripitaka asked. Sandy crossed her arms.

"I mean, that's our life now, really, isn’t it?” Sandy asked. Tripitaka frowned and shrugged her shoulders.

“At least we all have each other,” Tripitaka stated.

_The Vampire King Must Die_

“Do you see them yet?” Monkey asked again, rather impatiently as he searched through the swarming sea of people that had gathered for the festival. Already fireworks were going off and music was loudly playing. People were dancing in a merry crowd of people and others were eating and drinking, but Monkey hadn't enjoyed himself yet one bit. Instead, he had only grown worried. They hadn’t seen the girls all day and admittedly, sometimes he grew nervous about something happening to Tripitaka.

“Oh relax, enjoy the party!” Pigsy said as he ate another piece of pickled egg with ginger. He had been given lots of new ideas for foods to make just from being here, but that didn't distract him enough either. He too was a bit nervous. Monkey was right, they hadn’t seen them all day. Usually, they were on time, but it was at least half an hour past when they were supposed to meet up.

“Hello boys,” Sandy’s voice sounded and they looked to her and Tripitaka who stood beside her. They both wore beautiful garments. Sandy’s was a white dress that flattered her body, clinging to her in all the right places, yet flowing around her almost like water. Pigsy’s eyes widened at her, she never wore such things and he wouldn’t have believed how beautiful she was if someone had been trying to tell him moments ago. In his eyes, she could be some celestial water goddess, fallen from the heavens.

However, it was Monkey who was even more enamored. Tripitaka’s dress was a brilliant red, golden flowers decorated her dress and he had a hard time looking away. A woven crown of different red and pink flowers with long thin tassels on either side sat atop her head. At the same time, no matter how beautiful she was, he was angry.

“What took so long?” He questioned as he crossed his arms. Her being so gorgeous made it even worse, what if someone tried to snatch her up or something? He hadn’t been there to protect her. Tripitaka eyed him up and down.

“Um, we were getting ready for this festival," Tripitaka said, feeling annoyed at him. They had taken a lot of time getting ready. Sure, she was just a human, but she had kind of expected him to maybe say something like ‘Oh, Tripitaka, you look so nice!’ Of course, he wouldn’t though. She huffed a sigh.

“You know what, I’m gonna go dance,” Tripitaka muttered with her eyebrows furrowed. She pushed past the two guys to get caught in a throng of people who danced merrily in time with the lively music that sounded through the town square. Monkey turned around, following her with his eyes and staring her down unhappily.

“Well, that was smooth,” Sandy stated sarcastically. Monkey rolled his eyes.

“What if something happened? How would we know?” Monkey questioned. Pigsy eyed Monkey, something was up that he didn’t know about.

“I was with her! What, you don’t trust me now either?” Sandy questioned. Monkey gave her an angry look before stalking off towards a table where ale and wine were. Pigsy looked at Sandy.

“What’s going on here?” He questioned. Sandy sighed as she looked him up and down.

“Nothing much really, just those two being idiots,” Sandy explained. Pigsy gave her another look. He got the feeling that there was more to it than that.

"Let me guess, you're playing matchmaker?" He questioned snarkily. She turned her eyes at him, looking almost hurt that he would accuse such a thing.

"Not matchmaking!" She told him before her lips unfurled into a smirk.

"Just a little bit of nudging," she added. Pigsy shook his head and chuckled at her.

"You know, Tripitaka said this dress made me look beautiful," she stated. Pigsy looked her over, trying to ignore the fact that Tripitaka was dead wrong. She was much more than beautiful, there was no word to even describe it.

"Tripitaka probably knows what she's talking about," was his best reply. Sandy shot him a look.

"Beautiful girls get asked to dance, so?" She hinted, but a wider smirk crawled onto his face, his eyes narrowed deviously.

"I'm sure someone will ask you soon enough," he joked, but her eyes on him turned into a soft glare. Her lips turned downward.

"Fine," she muttered before she turned sharply and started off. Pigsy watched as she walked away, catching his breath. Now he would calm his nerves and collect his confidence. He started quickly towards Monkey who held a large wooden mug of some bad smelling liquor.

"Just go and apologize to her," Pigsy told him as he handed over several coins for two tiny ceramic cups filled with strong liquor.

"No, she's too mad at me. I mean, I just wanted to protect her," he muttered, the alcohol obviously doing him no good since he was going around in circles in his head. Pigsy shook his head at him.

"She doesn't always need protecting Monkey," Pigsy said as he looked at him for a moment. Monkey barely heard him and instead fell back into a seat behind him, his drink sloshing out of its cup slightly.

"Monkey, you've only had like that one drink, right?" Pigsy questioned as he couldn't understand how Monkey was so incoherent already. Monkey cast a glare.

"Shut up, I'm a lightweight. What are you doing over here anyway?" Monkey questioned. Pigsy smirked as he brought the two cups up and drank them down quickly, one right after the other.

"I'm going to ask Sandy to dance," he stated as he slammed the cups down and started off. Monkey watched him for a moment before he put his own cup down. He needed some water.

_The Vampire King Must Die_

Tripitaka had stolen away from the dancing eventually, but she didn't want to go back for Monkey to just get mad at her again. She hated it, her feelings were bubbling up in her and she would shove them back down, not wanting to feel anything. Then she had passed by a table on the opposite side of where the dancing took place... Maybe she shouldn't have drunk all that wine, but she deserved to let loose every now and again, right?

She knew it was stupid to like a god, but he could at least be a little nice to her. He was nice most of the time, but she had been excited for him to see her new dress. Instead, he just got angry at her and it was stupid, really. She stalked off, away from the crowd, going towards what she was sure were gardens. The night air began to cool and she took several sharp inhales, trying to collect herself.

“How can something so beautiful look so sad?” A male’s voice questioned ahead of her. Tripitaka gazed upwards, away from her feet to see a man wearing a green tunic just ahead of her. He took several steps towards her.

“A flower such as you deserves no tears," he said as he brought his hand to her face, wiping away a tear. Tripitaka took a step back, away from him.

“I’m no flower,” she muttered. The man smirked, devilishly handsome though she would never say that out loud.

“Does a tree know it's a tree or a cloud know it's a cloud?” He asked her. She gazed at him, feeling confused.

“You smell sweet and look beautiful, so therefore, I think you're a flower.” He told her. Tripitaka shook her head.

“Yeah, beautiful,” she said sarcastically. He grabbed her hand which took Tripitaka aback. She snatched it away.

“Come, you would be a perfect model.” He said as he looked at his empty hand. She stayed put, unsure of his intentions. He looked from his hand to her and she got caught in his eyes. There was something like a flash and that was all it took to realize how irresistible he was. She couldn't tear her eyes away.

He gestured to a bench with paper and paints set up near it.

“I’m a painter, and I would love to paint a portrait of you," he told her. Tripitaka gave him an unsure look, but began towards the bench. There was something about him. Something she couldn't put her finger on, but she liked it. It was like a warmth that hummed in her mind and thrummed through her body. She took a seat and sighed almost dreamily

“Should I sit a certain way?” She asked him.

“No, however you like is fine,” he told her. Tripitaka sighed once again as a flower from one of the trees fell to her lap. She picked it up and turned it over in her hand. Then, many more flowers began to tumble from the tree, flowing around like wind sweeping them through water. She gazed around, a little mesmerized.

“They all fall to your beauty, a flower more beautiful than them all,” the man said and this time, she couldn’t help but blush.

“What is your name?” Tripitaka finally asked.

“Shio, and yours?” he asked. Tripitaka gave him a warm smile this time.

“Tripitaka,” she answered. She felt so warm inside, like she was safe and at peace. She felt like she was finally * _home_ *. He placed his paper and brush down as he came to take a seat by her. He caught one of the flowers and placed it behind her ear.

“You know, a fortune-teller told me I would meet my soulmate here tonight and that she would be as beautiful as a flower and dressed in red.” He told her. She blushed once again.

“I think you have the wrong girl," she stated.

“I think not,” he replied as he hooked a finger under her chin. Her eyes grew wide and her heart thudded as he pressed his face closer and closer until their lips met. His lips drifted along her chin, pressing kisses as he inhaled through his nose, taking in her scent. Tripitaka's head lulled back. His lips trailed down to her neck. Tripitaka closed her eyes, she didn't feel so alone anymore, the strange warmth filled her entire being the closer he got. He opened his mouth, his teeth nipping at the sensitive skin and then—he buried his teeth into her neck. At first, Tripitaka gasped, losing her voice, but then her lungs heaved at high velocity, a blood-curdling scream was let loose to the air, but it was barely loud when compared to the lively music that shook the village.

_The Vampire King Must Die_

“She isn’t dancing anymore," Monkey stated as he gestured to where people were dancing. Pigsy sighed at him. Sandy was at his side as she munched on the foods he bought her.

“Loosen up Monkey, its a party,” Sandy told him and Monkey shook his head.

“I’ve got a bad feeling, I’m gonna go find her.” Monkey stated as he stood up. He didn’t know what to do with himself and he felt bad about it earlier. He shouldn’t have been so harsh. Sandy was right, she had been with her. Sandy would never let anything happen to Tripitaka.

He began walking around aimlessly. He felt his stomach twist. Something about the specific drink he had bought didn't settle well with him.

If he hadn't have wasted so much money on that set of throwing stars, maybe he could have afforded something a little better. What was the point of selling something as a set when it was so expensive?

His stomach made weird gurgling noises and he turned down an abandoned-looking path and followed down it. He was outside of a large stone gateway that led to some sort of garden, but he paid no mind, he turned to the bushes and doubled over, letting up the contents of his stomach. As soon as he was done, he stood up straight and wiped his lips on his hand and then wiped his hand on clean leaves. He grimaced at himself, feeling disgusted before he began to turn around. Facing the entrance to the gardens, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks.

There she was, kissing some stranger, her hands wound in his hair and his hands rubbing her back. The sight made Monkey sick, he felt his blood boil, and he clenched his hands into fists. He had never felt such rage in his life, but he held it all in.

He turned around swiftly and began to leave, unable to watch anymore but—he heard a terrified sounding scream, Tripitaka's scream. He turned around and raced back to see the man was atop Tripitaka, his teeth sunk into her skin, Tripitaka squirming to get out of his grasp, but he had her pinned.

"Monkey, help! Monkey!" Even though she had no idea he was here, she called out for him. Something tugged at the monkey god's heart, but he paid no mind to it right now. Right now he needed to save his monk.

Monkey had never pulled the pin out of his hair as quickly as he did at that moment, transforming it into his golden staff as he ran forward before lunging. Swiftly and quietly, he ended the demon's life, much more easily than he had thought it would be. Tripitaka stared up at him through heated eyes, her cheeks rosy.

"Monkey... I... You look so hot, ahh." She muttered before giggling and then coughing, her eyes seeming to have a hard time staying open. Monkey was quick to bend over her, searching her face.

"He did something to you," he muttered before picking her up and running out of the garden.

He held her close to him, angry that he didn't keep a closer eye on her. He felt her play with his hair as she giggled at him, and then she prodded at his cheeks.

"Squishy," she said with a laugh. Monkey felt fear race through his veins, she was acting extremely weird compared to her usual self.

Monkey found the others and gave them a serious look.

"Guys, somethings wrong with Tripitaka!" Monkey was quick to say. Sandy and Pigsy looked from Monkey to Tripitaka in his arms.

"A demon did something to her," he added.

"Her neck, there are bite marks..." Pigsy muttered as he stared at Tripitaka, and she let out a loud chuckle but then her laugh suddenly died down as she heavily gazed at the three of them.

"I don't feel so good," she muttered, and then her head lulled back, showing the extent of the deep nasty gashes. Monkey clenched her tighter to him before looking between the two.

"How do we fix this?" He questioned impatiently. Pigsy put his hand to his mouth and shook his head.

"The demon that did this, where is he?" Sandy asked. Monkey turned his attention to her.

"I killed him," Monkey stated. Sandy frowned at that.

"Well, I suppose we should get Tripitaka to a healer," Sandy stated as she looked around.

"I mean, there's gotta be one somewhere..." Sandy added as she continued looking back and forth. Monkey's eyes narrowed and he began to turn to random villagers, pulling Tripitaka's head towards his chest to hide her neck.

"I am in need of a healer, point me to the nearest one available so that we may be on our way, villagers!" He began, but he went mostly ignored. Sandy and Pigsy shared a look before they began stopping villagers too, but asking a little more politely. It wasn't long until someone stopped to inform them.

"Down that way, you can't miss it, has a big sign with tea leaves on it," an old woman told them. Pigsy nodded his thanks as he turned to Monkey and gave him a nod. They began on their way, Pigsy tapping Sandy's shoulder as they went by. She had gotten a bit far from them, but she was already in the right direction. They rushed quickly, Monkey keeping Tripitaka safe in his arms the entire time. He felt he could do nothing right. She was always getting hurt because of him, because he wasn't there to protect her.

"Hello, open up! We need a healer, hello!?" Sandy banged on the door as she called out rather loudly.

After a few minutes more of her hollering, the door opened up. A young girl appeared, she wore a yellowing white nightgown and looked half asleep.

"My parents are attending the festival," she claimed sleepily. Sandy frowned as she looked at her companions for a second.

"Have we got the wrong place? We just really need to see a healer," Sandy stated. The young girl rubbed her eyes and blinked at them.

"Who's injured?" The girl questioned.

"Our, um, friend, Tripitaka," Sandy said as she gestured to Tripitaka in Monkey's arms. The girl started towards them and Monkey took a step back, afraid to let anyone near the false monk. The girl gave him an annoyed look.

"If I cannot look then I cannot prove any injury, and therefore cannot permit your friend to enter my house," the girl stated. Monkey eyed her suspiciously before loosening his arms, tilting Tripitaka's head back, and stepping close. The girl scanned Tripitaka over with her eyes, stopping at her neck that seemed to be oozing a sort of black foamy substance.

"Yeah, this looks bad, come in please, quickly," the girl said. She was quick to lead them inside her house. She brought them to a bed in a room that had several.

"Lay her down there, there are stools in the hallway you may grab," she said before beginning to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Monkey called out. The girl stopped but didn't turn.

"I must find my parents," she remarked. Monkey gave looks to Pigsy and Sandy as he settled Tripitaka in a bed before he gestured the other two go.

"What do you mean-!" Sandy copied his hand movements. Monkey frowned at her.

"Help that girl, I'll stay here with Tripitaka," he demanded. Sandy narrowed her eyes at him. Pigsy was about to protest, but Sandy put her hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go Pigsy, Monkey can watch over her," she said as she gave him a serious looked and Pigsy was caught off guard, but went with it.

"Alright," he said as they walked out, going to catch up with the girl. Monkey went and grabbed a stool and settled it a few feet from the bed. He looked Tripitaka over. Her breathing seemed shallow, her wound was foaming, her eyes under her eyelids rapidly raced back and forth.

He scooted his stool closer and then closer yet again.

He scolded himself for setting his stool so far away in the first place. Obviously, he needed to be close enough to hold Tripitaka's hand. He grabbed her hand, clenching it in his own as he stared at her pained face, she grimaced in her unconscious state.

"They're going to get a healer and they'll find out what's wrong, and you're gonna be okay. Alright, Tripitaka?" Monkey asked sternly. He had to believe that, if he didn't... He couldn't let himself even think of it. He watched her eyes slowly flutter open and they were bloodshot. His heart fluttered tightly in his chest, he thought she'd been completely knocked out.

"Monkey, you know what I really like about you?" She muttered, sounding pretty loopy. He stared at her, worried because she didn't sound like herself at all.

"I like that even if you try to act all carefree and like you're better than everyone else..." She began, clenching back at his hand.

"You care about us, like really care," Tripitaka finished as her eyes once again slipped shut. Monkey eyed her up and down.

"You know what I like about you, Tripitaka?" He asked. She lifted her eyelids lazily and gazed at him.

"Hm?" She questioned, having a hard time keeping her eyes open. He stared down at her, his heart pounding. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to say the wrong thing. He furrowed his brows at her for a moment, her eyes once again closed.

"Everything," he whispered. She tried to widen her eyes at him, but she had a hard time even opening them again.

"I like everything about you too Monkey," a small smile took to her lips. Monkey took a moment, just staring at her, unsure of what to say or what to do. She obviously seemed to be feeling pretty off, he didn't want to take advantage.

"Tripitaka?" He questioned.

"Yes?" Her voice seemed far away, as if she was being stirred from a deep sleep. No words came from his mouth again though. Instead, she felt warmth placed atop her stomach and weight. She peeked out slightly to meet his eyes. He had laid his head sideways on her tummy, looking towards her face with his hair splayed across her. She looked at his face until she could no longer keep her eyes open.

"Will you stay here with me Monkey?" Tripitaka questioned after a moment. She felt him nod against her.

"Always," he answered.

_The Vampire King Must Die_

They had finally found the healer and he was now escorting them back to the house. As soon as they got there, Pigsy held back Sandy as the other three went in. Sandy gazed at Pigsy, giving him a questioning look.

"I think something horrible is going to happen to Tripitaka," Pigsy said. Sandy scoffed at him.

"And why would you think that?" She asked.

"Well, there is a certain type of demon that fancies drinking blood from biting a human's neck," Pigsy stated the obvious. Sandy gave him a bewildered look as she shook her head.

"No, that's just a myth. I mean, vampires don't really exist," Sandy rebutted. Pigsy frowned at her.

"They do," he said.

"Well, I mean, there's got to be a way to stop it then, right?" Sandy questioned. Pigsy gave her a grim look.

"Nothing I know of," Pigsy replied. Sandy shook her head.

"Well, maybe we're lucky and it was just some phsyco of a human," Sandy stated. Pigsy's eyes lowered.

"Maybe," He replied, but how could there be a nobody if they weren't a demon? Sandy seemed more than distressed though, he decided he'd bring it up once again shortly, but for now, he followed Sandy as she rushed inside.


	3. Underwater Cave Monsters Suck Tentacles...

Two hours had passed. None of them had been allowed into the same room as Tripitaka while the doctor was 'fixing her up.' Sandy and Pigsy sat on chairs. Sandy drummed her fingers on her leg and Pigsy kept sighing every five minutes or so. Monkey was the most impatient though. He paced the hallway back and forth, back and forth. He finally halted and put his hands on his hips.

"Okay, this is taking way too long, I'm going to see what's up!" He exclaimed and turned and started for the door. He placed his hand on the knob, but right when he did, the door pulled open from the other side. Monkey stumbled back and gazed at the doctor who looked distraught. The doctor rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped out and shut the door. He gazed at the three gods, looking full of regret.

"I'm afraid your friend won't make it..." He stated. Sandy gasped, Pigsy shook his head, Monkey didn't accept it.  
"What are you talking about!? He just bit her neck, that's all... What did he drug her with?" Monkey bit his question out at the end. He knew that it had to be that. Whatever that guy gave her... It must be killing her.

"No, it's not a drug, there was no drug. She was influenced by mind seduction," the doctor explained as he shook his head.  
"She will die, but not how you expect," the doctor stated, trying to find a way to tell them.  
"It's like this, every year at the festival here, girls and boys alike go missing, but sometimes we see them again, except... They are no longer alive, but undead."  
"Undead... Vampires?" Pigsy questioned. He had already suspected as much. The doctor nodded.

"We've seen some turn a few times and we've always tried to save the people who do, but... There is no saving them, which means there is no saving your friend. The best thing you can do for her is to end her life while she is still human," the doctor explained. Monkey shook his head. That answer was unacceptable. There had to be another way.

"No, I won't! I won't let that happen," Monkey stated. Failure was not an option. Tripitaka dying wasn't an option. The doctor gave him a look of sorrow.  
"I'll give you all time to think about it," the doctor said, but Sandy spoke up.

"You say nothing can be done, but... Do you perhaps know where they come from? Their base or whatever?" She asked. The doctor gazed back up to look at her.  
"They say they stay in a cave in the woods, but no one ever makes it back, so who is to say how true that even is?" The doctor questioned. Sandy frowned and lowered her eyes, trying to think.

"The different stages, she won't turn right away, right? There is time to at least try to help her?" Pigsy questioned. The doctor sighed and turned his eyes to him and nodded.  
"First she will grow weak. She will feel hungry but any food and water will make her ill. Then she will grow cold, as cold as the dead, and then have a seizure. Then she will seem to be dead for a full day and night, and when she awakens, she will feed. If she succeeds at feeding, she will join the other vampires in the woods and lose her soul," the doctor explained. Pigsy nodded.

"How long until the seizure?" Pigsy wondered.  
"Usually three, but two people took four," the doctor replied. Pigsy looked to Monkey and then to Sandy.  
"Well, Monkey, you stay here, we best get to work," Pigsy said. Monkey stared at him as if he was an idiot.

"Why would I stay here!? I have to go to! I have to save her! I can't—,"  
"Monkey, you have to keep her safe and... Keep the people safe from her if we don't make it back in time, we know you won't let anything happen to her, right?" Pigsy's gaze was heavy on him. Monkey gulped as he couldn't help but wonder if the villagers may try to hurt her. He nodded.  
"Yeah, I'll stay."

* _The Vampire King Must Die_ *

"Hey,"  
"Hey..." Monkey's voice was solemn when he replied to her. His eyes swept over her. He wasn't usually too emotional, but looking at her, seeing her smiling at him the way she was... All he kept thinking of was her body going cold and her body convulsing and then—she would lose her mind.  
"What's wrong?" She asked as she studied his expression. Monkey shook his head. He didn't want to tell her, but he had to.

"Your turning," he paused as he watched her. Her eyes narrowed, her head tilted, waiting for him to go on.  
"Into a vampire," he told her. Her eyes widened and a smirk formed on her face as she chuckled and shook her head.

"Good one Monkey, now really, what's going on?" She didn't believe him. He said nothing though, and instead watched her through worried eyes. When he was silent for what she deemed a little too long, her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed downward.

"No... But, vampires are a myth. They're not real," she muttered. Monkey huffed a sigh and sat on the closest stool at her bedside.  
"I had thought so too, but... You are Trip," his lower lip trembled. He was trying to hold it together. For her, for him, for his ego, for any excuse he could muster up, but none of that was enough. He didn't want to lose her. More than anything in the world, he didn't want to fail her.

"Monkey," she whispered his name and reached out her hand, grabbing his and holding it gently.  
"It'll be okay, we'll figure it out, okay?" She tried to comfort him, unable to take the sad look on his face. He clenched her hand back before deciding it wasn't enough. He slipped his hand away and bent over, resting his upper body on top of her, his face buried into her chest to hide any rogue tears, his hands coming to tightly grip her shoulders.

"I was supposed to protect you, but I drove you away instead. I made you get hurt, I should have been watching you, I should have—,"  
"Shh, shh, it's not your fault Monkey. You have protected me. You always keep me safe," she whispered in her most soothing face. He lifted his face up and she was caught off guard by the streams of tears that ran down his cheeks.

"I didn't Tripitaka. I wasn't good enough, and now you're going to die," he muttered. She shook her head and mustered up half of a smile.  
"As long as your with me Monkey, there's a chance we'll beat this thing, okay?" She wasn't sure how true that was, but she would do anything to make his tears vanish.

"You were good enough to me," she added. He shook his head and averted his gaze. He felt so ashamed. For so long he knew—he knew, he knew, he knew... He knew how much he loved her.  
"Please hate me Tripitaka. Please scold me, hit me, tell me you hate me!" His eyes hardened as he spoke, his hurt deeply embedded in his voice. She shook her head and weakly smiled.

"Never Monkey, I could never hate you or hurt you, never ever, ever," she said as her hand found his cheek and she gazed into his eyes in a way that made his heart speed up and his stomach felt like it was flip-flopping.

"Trip—," his voice broke before he got out the 'taka.'  
"Shh, calm down Monkey, it'll be okay," she brought the hand on his face to the top of his head and rubbed the other on his back in comforting circles.

"Tripitaka..." He whispered after a moment of calming his breathing.  
"Yes?" She asked, her own voice sounding somewhat empty.  
"I'm scared. I'm scared to be without you. I'm scared of you dying..." He hated thinking about it.

"I'm scared too Monkey... I am too," her voice came out quiet, but he still heard her.  
"Please don't die," he muttered out after.  
"I don't plan to," she said back, wishing it could be as simple as that.

* _The Vampire King Must Die_ *

"Alright, which way you think?" Sandy gazed around, the woods were dark, too dark, but they had no time to waste. On top of that, if legends and myths were true, vampires couldn't be out in the sunlight. So there best chances at finding one were now, while the sun was still sleeping. Pigsy shrugged. His guess was as good as hers.

A twig snapped and a giggle sounded from somewhere deeper in the woods. Both turned around and gazed into the darkness.  
The laughing sounded again, a little further away. Sandy and Pigsy traded looks. Sandy broke into a run first, rushing forward. Pigsy didn't waste time either though, he advanced right behind her.

Maybe they took a wrong turn. Maybe they should have slowed down and listened a little harder... Eventually, as they ran forward, Sandy put a foot down, and it went straight through the ground. It was already too late to pull back though. She put her other foot forward with her velocity, and her body plummeted into a pit that had been hidden by brush and leaves. So shocking it was that she didn't even have the time to scream before her body plunged downward.

"Sandy!!" Pigsy ran forward and crouched at the hole. He could barely see anything in it, just a pit of darkness.  
"Sandy!?" He called again, bit he heard nothing. He squinted at the pitch black of the hole. Something sounded below, sounding almost a mile away or something. A splash, a tiny splash, or was it a loud splash that was just very far away?

He choked on his breath for a moment as he tried to decide what to do. He made his decision. He prayed to the heavens that death didn't await him down below. He tightened his grip on his pitchfork and swung his legs over the edge. Then, he slipped down, and plummeted after the water god. He closed his eyes as he dropped and took a big inhale of air, but it seemed difficult as oxygen rushed by him, and then—he thudded...

He thudded straight into frigidly cold water. So cold that it burned at his skin with its numbness and his body ached with how he landed in the water. He opened his eyes and gazed around, but there was nothing to look at. Everything was black. He realized that he wasn't sure which way was up or down or right or left. He was completely disoriented.

He began to swim, going what he reckoned was hopefully upwards. He could feel it in his lungs. It was like a ticking time bomb that threatened to explode his chest. He swam and swam, but still only found darkness. When his hands went forward this time, they came in contact with something. He curled his fingers against it and his finger slipped into something smooth with a sharp edge. He tried to pull his hand away, but it was stuck.

He shook his head, bubbles of air floating out of his mouth, not that anyone could see that in the pitch black anyway. He couldn't bear it anymore. His lungs screamed. His chest felt like it would explode, his muscles felt tired, like he swam through quicksand...

He couldn't keep his eyes open and began to become confused as to if they were closed or if they were still open. He couldn't move anymore. His hands floated in front of him, he could feel it, he could... His head felt light and his chest felt heavy and—something wrapped around his stomach and he began to be propelled upwards, up and up and up at such a fast speed that it shocked him. He almost took a breath in, but right when he did, he broke the surface. He gasped air in and coughed from the burning of his lungs.

"Pigsy, are you okay?" He knew that voice, but everything still seemed fuzzy. His head still felt like it was spinning.  
"Sa-sandy?" He coughed as he said her name.  
"Yes, come on, let's get out of this water..." Now that his senses were coming back, he could feel her shaking like a leaf and hear her teeth chattering.

"You're freezing..." He stated.  
"Yeah, and so are you," she muttered as she pulled him along with her breast-stroke.  
"Wait a minute... Sandy, how can you see?" He asked.

"I can't, but I can sense where the water gets more shallow and turns to land," she answered, continuing to swim.  
The sound of splashing was heard, loud splashing, and waves of water lapped against them from behind. A loud screech sounded, echoing through what had to be a rather large underground cave.  
"Pigsy... Please tell me that was your stomach..." Sandy knew it wasn't, but prayed she was somehow wrong.

"I wish it was..." Pigsy muttered back. The screech sounded again before cutting off amidst another rather large splash.  
"I think it dove... Sandy can you sense it!? Swim, swim, swim for our lives!" Pigsy let out. Sandy swam, not even caring that he was being annoying.

"Yeah, I can sense it..." Did she sound—scared?  
"And?" He questioned as he tried his best to kick his legs to help them along.  
"Whatever it is Pigsy, it's giant," she said.  
"And fast—," as if on queue, Pigsy felt something thin yet rough begin to snake around his ankle and up his leg.

"Sandy! It's on me, Sandy!" He panicked. All he could do was hope that she could do something. The only eyes they had were her water senses. Whatever it was squeezed, so tightly that it definitely cut off the circulation and in all honesty, the tightness was unbearably painful.  
"Pigsy, stay calm, just..." She still had an arm around him and she worked on untying her scythe from her belt with only one hand. After plummeting, she had tied it to herself for safe keeping to be able to make use of both of her hands.

"Sandy..." Whatever it was, some sort of tentacle it felt like, it slithered to his waist now, squeezing his stomach. He clenched his eyes. It felt like pure muscle. He feared it would crush him if it kept up. It squeezed him tighter and tighter, constricting him, making him uncomfortable and groan from the pain.  
"Try not to move, okay?" Sandy said. Before he could question it, her arm slipped away and the feel of her disappeared.

"Sandy!?" He was panicking more. did it get her? Did it—!? The tentacle suddenly slackened and then something broke through the water. He felt a clammy cold hand grab his wrist.  
"Keep swimming. It's still out there," she said. Something else broke through the water behind them, sending them forward slightly with the force of the waves it caused. The screech sounded again.

"Sandy..." Pigsy muttered as he tried to swim, but he was the best swimmer.  
"Shit, I only pissed it off. Take this," she shoved her scythe in his arms.  
"And hold me behind you," he didn't understand what she meant by that, but she wrapped his arm around her stomach.

"We're gonna bolt now, okay?" He didn't get what that meant either, but—suddenly they were skidding against the water, faster and faster, shocking the pig god. He tried to say something, but the water around them splished and splashed, jumping on his face and threatening to slosh into his mouth and eyes. Soon enough they skidded onto dry ground, made up of rough sand and tiny pebbles that clung to their sopping wet and cold clothes.

"We need to get further from the water," Sandy muttered as she tried to stand up and tripped over a larger rock. They still couldn't see anything.  
"We need to find some light is what we need to do," Pigsy muttered.

"Seriously, that thing was big. It could still pull us in if we don't get further away," she muttered. Pigsy didn't need her to say anything more. He jumped to his feet and shoved her scythe in her hands before pressing on blindly in the dark.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This was actually the first story I began for this show. I started writing it right after the first season finale, I was so excited! Obviously, I didn't know about Hagfish and his puppeteering ability, so I had scrapped this, but looking over it again, heck! It's a dream, Monkey can dream about anything he wants right? Coming up with some long drawn out scenario to get the girl, lol. This story won't be long. Only five or six chapters long, however, if chapters get too lengthy for the plot I'm writing, then it may extend. I will only write this for as long as it takes to get what I have on my outline done. Well, enjoy! Please review if you enjoyed and tell me what you thought, what you liked in it, if it made you laugh at all or if seeing Monkey being so evil for a second shocked you, or if the romance was as sweet as I think it is. Hope everyone enjoys. (:


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